YL Overview

The “young learners” in YL-TESOL refers to children 6 to 12 years of age (kindergarten through elementary school). When teaching children, special consideration for their overall development and particular learning abilities must be given. YL-TESOL’s central goal is to develop confident teachers who can run a creative classroom.

English is being introduced to learners, worldwide, at younger and younger ages. The YL-TESOL Program, the first teacher training program of its kind in Korea, was created to help teachers of learners who are in kindergarten and elementary school provide effective English language instruction. The aim of this program is to equip current and future teachers with the skills and competencies necessary to deliver effective instruction to young learners. The program provides teachers with a solid theoretical foundation as well as the applications necessary to deliver effective instruction to young learners. The program is based on two bodies of knowledge - early childhood education and second language acquisition. Thus the YL-TESOL program was designed to provide teachers with a wide range of skills derived from the latest early childhood and second language acquisition research.

When young learners walk into the classroom, they are children first and language learners second. Teachers must know how to tailor their foreign language instruction to meet the unique needs of children. The six courses in the program have been created to give teachers a foundation in pedagogy and second language acquisition. In addition the courses provide teachers with the skills necessary to implement a wide variety of strategies and techniques in the young learner classroom. Listed below are brief descriptions of the courses.

Classroom English provides current and future teachers with the English language skills necessary to deliver effective English-based curriculum in the young learner classroom. Language Acquisition Theories and Practice provides a solid theoretical foundation in early childhood and second language acquisition theories along with practical examples of each theory. Classroom Management and Application focuses on equipping teachers with the information and skills necessary to effectively set up and manage a child-focused language classroom. Curriculum Design and Lesson Planning covers the actual classroom strategies and techniques necessary to design and implement an effective English language curriculum. In Literacy Development, students are taken through a solid introduction to the practical aspects of teaching reading by looking at and practicing various areas of instruction in the teaching of reading. Child Development and Teaching equips students with knowledge of childhood development in order to better prepare lessons for children of various ages depending on their particular stage of development. For more information about the program, please see the descriptions of the individual courses.

YL-TESOL Live!

In addition to our traditional on-campus program, Sookmyung TESOL is now proud to offer a blended YL-TESOL Live, a blended learning program which incorporates both online and in-class learning. Students in YL-TESOL Live attend classes online one evening a week and then come to our campus just once a week each Saturday for the course of the semester for face-to-face classes with our professors. This convenient option is ideal for individuals who wish to learn more about teaching young learners but are unable to make it to campus during the regular work week.